The Bonehunters/Chapter 7
Y'Ghatan Leoman comes out of the temple sanctum as dusk approaches, after a meeting with the Queen of Dreams which no one was allowed to witness. They hurry towards the palace, with Corabb uneasy about his leader dealing with a "foreign" goddess and his certainty that the Malazans will attack tonight. Leoman asks him to stay close and guard his back. Pearl allows Lostara Yil to rejoin the Red Blades for the assault on the city. Fists Tene Baralta and Keneb prepare to lead the assault while Blistig commands the reserves, while the Wickans and the Khundryl Burned Tears prepare for possible breakouts. As they talk about the plague's spread, a lone rider charges through the camp and reaches the city gate. In the Falah'd's throne room, Leoman bids farewell to eleven warriors who had been assigned an unknown task. Corabb confronts him about this but Leoman says that he's had his fill of fanatics. As they speak, L'oric strides in, berating Leoman for summoning him here. Saying that he's made a deal with the Queen of Dreams, Leoman tells them to accompany him to the South tower as the siege is about to begin. The squads ready for the attack and as the signal sounds, Cuttle musters the Sappers and squad mages. They advance under the cover of illusions and reaching the city's walls, begin rigging wall-breakers. Crump, however rigs three instead of one, and does so prematurely, forcing Cuttle to sound the retreat. Several soldiers are lost in the explosion and a massive section of the wall is blown away. Leoman and the others watch as the wall goes down. The tower also collapses but the four survive. He orders them to ride with him to the temple. The marines lead the assault with the heavies close behind. They are immediately ambushed but manage to push on. These squads are followed by soldiers under Keneb and Baralta. Squads under Strings, Gesler, Balm, Hellian, and a few others push deep into the city, planning to meet at the palace gates. Balm's squad discover Leoman's trap: the walls and buildings are filled with olive oil. Before they can warn the officers, the trap is sprung: rebel fanatics set themselves and the buildings on fire with nearly three thousand Malazan soldiers, a third of the 14th army, inside. The Adjunct orders Nil and Nether to gather the mages and attempt to break the soldiers out. They say that they will not be enough. Inside the city, Lostara Yil is surrounded by a firestorm and is knocked unconscious. On the other hand, Faradan Sort encounters Sinn who is able to deny the flames and leads her towards the Fists' soldiers. The marines abandon armor and weapons due to the heat, with Deadsmell commenting that a fire godling was being born. At the palace gates, Strings' squad is dismayed to find themselves alone. Strings and Cuttle try to blow the palace and beat back the flames, but cannot reach close. Gesler's squad arrives and Truth takes the munitions inside, blowing the palace and clearing the flames nearby at the cost of his own life. At the temple, Leoman asks L'oric to open a gate but Corabb protests, saying that they must die honourably. Leoman refuses and stunned at the betrayal, Corabb turns away. The gate opens and they find that the Queen of Dreams is waiting for them. She tells L'oric that Sha'ik's successor is in imminent danger. Leoman, Dunsparrow and L'oric enter the warren of D'riss. Faith shattered, Corabb refuses. After they've left, he finds sixteen children abandoned in the temple. Sinn makes a path through the fire, aided by some mages outside and helps seven hundred and ninety-one soldiers escape the firestorm. Inside the surviving squads reach the temple to find Corabb and the children. The rebel surrenders. When Strings notices that cold air is rising through the tiles, Bottle quests to find rats fleeing under the ruins. The marines make a hole in the floor and Bottle uses a rat to find a way through the ruins for the soldiers and children. In camp, the surviving soldiers recover. Fist Baralta is horribly disfigured. The Adjunct orders the army to march to the port city of Sotka the following night due to the plague. Due to her repeated attempts to enter the city, Sinn is placed under arrest but Faradan breaks her out and the two seemingly desert. After three days, the survivors still in the ruins finally reach an opening. They are found by Sinn and Faradan Sort who help them out. See Also * Last Siege of Y'Ghatan 07